


Reeling in the Years

by addledwalrus



Series: Halloween 2017 [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Afterlife, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Babies, Break Up, Car Accidents, Character Death, Crimes & Criminals, Dark Comedy, Date Rape Drug/Roofies, Death, Disco, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Family Drama, Father-Daughter Relationship, Flirting, Gen, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Infidelity, Love, Marriage, Medical Conditions, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Near Death Experiences, Nostalgia, Nudity, Overdosing, Personification of Death, Pick-Up Lines, Purgatory, References to Norse Religion & Lore, Relationship Issues, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 07:21:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12271647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: Four people and their differing encounters with death.





	1. Reeling in the Years

_"911. What is your emergency?"_

The emotionless female voice on the other end proved a great contrast to Ross' breathless reply as he desperately tried to seek help in spite of his fading senses.

By the time Ross was redirected to an emergency medical service a minute later, his heart was beating so rapidly that he feared it would burst right out on to the floor.

It was while attempting to describe his symptoms that the worrying rush suddenly faded and Ross found himself feeling rather at peace, as well as quite tired.

Believing that the earlier discomfort had just been a false alarm, he abruptly hung up and headed into the living room to enjoy what would be his final nap.

* * *

Ross awoke to find himself lying upon an uncomfortable chair in what seemed to be a large waiting room of sorts.

All around him were people of various age and race, though what every one of them had in common was an overwhelming air of melancholy, as if they'd all sacrificed a great deal to arrive where they were now.

A dark and indistinct figure entered to call several unfamiliar names at once, prompting half of those present to reluctantly rise and be escorted through a large door that was only now becoming visible to Ross' still confused eyes.

_"Some hospital this is. Since when did doctors see fifty people all at once?"_

A full hour passed before his own name was among those called and he too followed the mysterious individual, soon finding himself in a brightly lit corridor where he was directed through just another one of the countless numbered doors.

* * *

"Welcome to the afterlife, sir. Do make yourself comfortable." A gentle female voice sounded as soon as Ross entered and he was taken aback at the sight of a young blonde smiling at him from behind a desk.

"What's going on? Do I know you?" Ross asked while taking a seat and noticing that she looked vaguely like one of his past conquests. "Don't tell me you're my doctor for today..."

"Mr Thompson. I know this is hard to accept, but you are dead." The blonde simply replied as her expression grew serious. "And I'm not your doctor. I'm just a clerk on duty in this boring place."

"No, you can't be serious..."

"I know that fact may be hard to accept, but with the lifestyle you were leading, such an end was expected..."

"Damn. It was an overdose, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"I guess that explains a lot..."

"You don't seem very upset, Mr Thompson."

"Why should I be? I was past my prime anyway...though I have to say, having you in front of me is a nice surprise. I've heard a lot about you, but I never expected you to be some cute Swedish babe..."

"How do you know my background?"

"Your nameplate. Miss Gustafsson, I presume?"

"You flatter me, but we must be moving on to the subject of your family. I believe you have an estranged wife and son?"

"Had, not have." Ross corrected without batting an eye. "They were better off without me and I was better off without them."

"Interesting." Miss Gustafsson muttered apathetically as she looked down to scribble something in her book before making eye contact once again. "Now, we must discuss the extent of your sins. This is the most crucial part of the appointment, however uncomfortable it might be."

"Oh, that doesn't bother me. I may have done less than moral things, but that doesn't mean I regret any of it. I'm ready to take whatever you throw at me."

"I see." Miss Gustafsson replied with a nod of agreement. "Well, Mr Thompson. For your lifelong infidelity and insatiable sexual appetite, you shall serve two years in purgatory. A guide will come by shortly to escort you there."

"Well, that's not as bad as I expected. Any chance I could have your number before I get there?"

"Sorry, I only like younger men."

"Oh. Well, see you around. Hopefully..."

A loud knock sounded on the door and Miss Gustafsson went over to open it. She then turned and flashed an unexpectedly playful look at Ross, before allowing the shadowy figure into the room to claim him.


	2. Paralyzer

"Some date this is..." Jared complained quietly as he painted the walls of an abandoned bedroom alongside his girlfriend.

"Yeah, but now that you're here, you might as well enjoy it." Brittany responded with apathy, though her eyes gave away how much she was being affected by family drama.

"Excuse me?"

"Jared, my Mom's slept with God knows how many guys. Dad's losing his mind. Don't think any of this is easy on me."

"I get it..." Jared relented wearily while trying to stay calm and feeling a little guilty for putting his own pleasure first. "But you didn't have to lie. My time isn't cheap. I have college and guy friends to focus on too."

"Fine, I'm sorry. How about we make up for it by..."

Brittany's voice trailed off and she shook her head in dismay before dipping her brush back into the paint can.

"Nevermind, intimacy's out of the question..."

"Because you need to protect your Dad's feelings, right?"

"Yeah, he's in a really vulnerable spot right now. Just us holding hands could be enough to trigger him."

"Crap..."

Jared momentarily took a break from painting and stared down at the pile of newspapers at his feet. It still befuddled him that what should have been a one night stand had instead blossomed to the point that he wanted to make the girl before him happy no matter what.

"Hey, Brittany. Dodge this!" He exclaimed playfully as an impulsive idea dawned upon him.

"What?!"

A white fleck of paint landed on Brittany's cheek and she stared in surprise before retaliating with glee. He returned the favor and they fought until her father stopped by the room to check on their progress.

"Brittany, come out here. I just got a terrible phone call..."

* * *

"Hey, are you alright?" Jared could only ask in concern, letting go of his drink when she began to sob quietly to herself. "I'm really sorry for calling you a bitch earlier..."

"Shut your stupid mouth!" Brittany suddenly lashed out viciously. She slammed her glass straight down against the wooden counter and stormed from her seat towards the dancefloor.

Jared stood up with the intention of chasing her down, only to have his attention briefly stolen by the previously silent woman sitting two seats away. She approached him with a friendly smile and he stiffened up in embarrassment.

"Having a messy breakup, huh?"

"Oh no, we're just going through rough times, that's all."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Uh, yeah? What's it to you?"

"Well, I'm impressed. Sorry for keeping you, I'll mind your drinks while you go after her."

"Thanks. You're not bad looking, by the way."

"Well, I try."

Jared left the bar to search fruitlessly for Brittany, assuming after seeing no sign of her that she'd headed to the bathroom instead.

He sat down again a few minutes later and despite the absence of the woman from earlier, downed the rest of his drink before carelessly wiping his mouth clean.

His gaze then fell on Brittany's still full glass and feeling unbearably thirsty, he decided to consume it's contents as well, figuring it wouldn't hurt if Zach had to buy another round later.

 _"Speaking of Zach, where the hell did he go?"_ He thought, wondering about his friend's whereabouts before a throbbing headache overwhelmed him and his legs slowly lost all sensation.

The last thing he noticed as everything faded to black was a blurred female figure approaching him to whisper gentle but incoherent words of reassurance.

* * *

"Hey, this is a waiting room, right?"

"How should I know, young man? I'm just as confused as the next person!" The elderly woman beside him snapped impatiently while clasping weathered fists together.

"Okay, maybe it's just a dream..."

"I'm a perfectly real person, thank you very much!"

"Sorry..."

Jared sighed and decided to seek answers from somebody else. He approached a young man whom looked not much older than himself, but they replied in what sounded like some Middle Eastern language.

_"Assuming this is a hospital, what am I here for?"_

He prepared to return to his chair, though the nearby door suddenly flew open and startled him.

"Stop right there, intruder! You're not supposed to be here!"

"What?!"

The intimidating figure in black made their presence known to all by seizing Jared by the collar and dragging him straight across the room despite his struggles.

"Let me go! I have a right to know what's...holy shit..."

Jared swallowed the rest of his words when the figure violently shoved his head outside so that he was met with nothing but endless darkness. He gaped while trying to suppress the sick feeling rising in his stomach.

A light breeze blew through Jared's hair and he was thrown right into the void before there was any chance to contemplate where it had come from.

He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

* * *

"The results from the paternity test came back. Turns out he's always been my real Dad..."

"That's great..." Jared muttered while gazing up at her. "You must be happy..."

"Mostly. I just wish you'd get well soon."

Brittany began to gently stroke his arm until he pulled away, at which point she sighed and retreated into her earlier depression.

"If there's something wrong, you can tell me."

"Well, I've already vented to my sister, but I guess there's one more thing..."

"What is it?"

"It's your family. The drama just keeps getting crazier and I don't think I can handle it anymore..."

"So? I'll try to keep you out of it from now on."

"It's no use. I saw how you acted in that nightclub. We're just going to hurt each other even more."

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand..." Brittany reassured while trying and failing to hide her sadness. "...I love you."

She wiped a tear from her eye before hurrying out of the room and thus disappearing from his life for what might as well have been forever.

It took a full five minutes for Jared to come to terms with the decision. He frowned upon realizing he still wanted her and the rage was enough that he wanted to slam his fist against the wall until his knuckles bled.

The reality that Brittany's pain was likely much worse didn't ease his heartbreak one bit, as he was confronted by the thought of her suffering alone without a shoulder to lean on.


	3. Turn Around, Look At Me

"Shh, darling. It's alright..."

Jeanette approached the cot to pick up her infant daughter so that she could gently rock the child and learn what was wrong.

Lisa continued to cry after her diaper had been changed, which lead Jeanette to assume that she was hungry.

After preparing a warm bottle of milk, Jeanette sat down with Lisa in her lap to begin feeding, which thankfully resulted in the child calming down to focus solely on swallowing.

Lisa eventually wrinkled up her face and spat out the teat to signal that she was full. Jeanette gave a smile of relief as she put the bottle aside and returned to comforting her daughter while cooing gently.

She placed the baby gently back down in the cot ten minutes later for another nap, before heading downstairs to start preparing dinner for her husband.

* * *

"So, George. How has your day been?"

"Average. What's it to you?"

Jeanette gave up all efforts to appear as if she cared and instead frowned while regretting her decision to marry a man like him.

Though to be fair, at the time she'd completely believed his talk of wanting to change and become a better person.

Now that the initial thrill had long since died, Jeanette found that her judgment was no longer clouded and she was able to see him for what he really was. A hypocrite whom hid his criminal ties right underneath the veneer of a reformed family man.

"Nothing. I just think that as a married couple, we should display a little more interest in each other."

"Okay, then. How's Lisa? Is she eating well?"

"Yes, she is. I think she'll grow into a delightful little girl."

"Great. I have work to do now, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't disturb me."

"I understand. I'll be keeping myself busy with Lisa anyway..."

George left the table and she steadily got to work cleaning up before heading upstairs to see if her daughter was still sleeping.

Lisa stirred immediately upon sensing her presence and Jeanette opted to take the infant out again, this time so she could simply keep herself occupied with the sight of a sweet and adorable face.

"Peek-a-boo! Mommy's here!" She exclaimed playfully while revealing her face, prompting Lisa to giggle and flail chubby arms around in joy, which in turn was enough to temporarily to lift her mood.

Jeanette then hugged Lisa gently and reminded herself that the little girl was perhaps the only favorable thing resulting from her marriage. It was clear that if a divorce was ever in the question, she would also have to find a way to gain complete custody of the child, if only to keep her safe from George's less than moral ways.

* * *

Jeanette cursed quietly to herself when the lights suddenly turned red and she was forced to come to an abrupt stop. She sighed while glancing at the pile of divorce papers resting in the neighboring seat, before wondering how she could go about breaking the news to George.

Little did she know, such concerns would soon be rendered insignificant, as signalled by a dark vehicle slowing down in the next lane. The mysterious driver turned to carefully study her appearance and adjusted his shades before confirming that she was the correct target.

The light turned green and Jeanette sped up, only noticing the dark shape in the rear view mirror while she turned a corner.

* * *

_Jeanette Bukowski_

_1940 - 1969_

_Your memory will live on in our hearts._

George Bukowski held the hand of his five year old daughter and motioned to the engraved words while explaining that it was her mother whom lay beneath the ground.

Lisa stared silently at the tombstone for a long while before craning her neck to look up at her father and ask an innocent but morbid question.

"Daddy, will she come out and visit us one day? Like on TV?"

"No, Lisa. She won't come back, however much we want her too..." He explained shakily, only to choke as he tried desperately to suppress painful memories. "Come on, it's time to go..."

"Okay..." Lisa agreed brightly, taking one last glance at the grave while allowing him to lead her away. "Bye, Mommy!"

* * *

"You seem rather anxious, madam. Care to tell me what is troubling you?"

Jeanette spun around to tearfully face the sympathetic young man in the wake of inadvertently causing a disturbance amongst the others in the waiting room. She took a moment to observe his soft brown eyes and olive skin that suggested possible Mediterranean origin, before taking a deep breath and explaining her earlier panicked behavior.

"Sir, please try to understand. I can't stay here, I have a daughter who needs me..."

"Mrs Bukowski, many of these people have left behind children too. What makes your situation different?"

"She's only a baby! And I can't just leave her alone with...with..."

She found herself unable to utter George's name and simply collapsed into the young man's arms, letting her grief take over until she was sobbing just as much as Lisa did in the cot.

"If it's any consolation, Mrs Bukowski, your daughter will be safe. She's going to live a long life."

"How...how do you know?"

"It's time I showed you something important, if you'll only take my hand..."

"What do you mean?"

"If I could send you back, I would. But that car crash damaged your insides beyond repair. Even if you were to return, it would only be for a few seconds at best."

"No..."

"Though as I said earlier, there's something I need to show you."

"No, there has to be another way! I'll do anything!"

"If you have any concerns, you can take it up with Fate at a later stage. For now, you'll have to believe in me. I _am_ here for you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Jeanette turned around uncertainly to face those around her, finding that quite a few of them were beginning to nod and utter words of encouragement.

Taking faith in the reassurance from her fellow dead, Jeanette accepted her fate and finally grasped the young man's hand. He smiled lovingly before guiding her towards a door ahead, that while rather plain and dark, seemed to be emitting a radiant light through the gaps.


	4. Boogie Nights

Ingrid clambered weakly out of the bathtub and took a moment to regain her balance before realizing in shock that she had nothing on besides her faded panties.

An unconscious young man sat slumped against the wall as she placed both arms to her chest and tiptoed into the hallway, unable to recall the stranger's name or how she'd ended up in such a situation.

She discovered her clothes in a scattered pile on the floor after making it a few feet, so she picked them up one by one and hurriedly got dressed again.

The memories came flooding back the moment she was fully clothed and feeling ashamed of having indulged in such acts of hedonism, she knew it was best to leave immediately and forget all that had happened over the past day.

Passersby seemed blind to her presence as she walked the streets on the way back home, though as usual, Ingrid chalked it up to the fact that she was just another unremarkable face amongst the thousands traveling to and fro each day.

* * *

A familiar albeit mysterious young man awaited in her apartment when she returned. He stood up to politely tip his hat, but she stubbornly ignored him and tried to go about her morning routine.

"Don't you remember me? We met once when you were in college."

"I know, but..."

"But, what?"

"I..."

She turned around to observe his dark suit and olive skin, before a horrified look spread across her face.

"It's happened, hasn't it?"

"Yes. You called for me last night and I came."

"So, what now?"

"We wait and hope that medical personnel will find your body in time. But by the looks of things, it might be too late to save you."

Ingrid gaped and fell into the nearest chair. Her expression darkened while she contemplated what was happening.

"This is hard for you to accept, I know..."

"But, my clothes!" Ingrid suddenly cried, rising back to her feet in panic. "They're going to see me without them!"

It was now the young man's turn to be shocked as he wondered where her real priorities lay.

"Your life was a wreck, but the biggest concern you have is dying naked?"

"I...I'm very uncomfortable with my body."

"That's not how it seemed when you tried to ravish that man in the bathroom."

"But I wasn't myself then. I would never do such a thing now..."

"You're trying to say?"

"If I go with you, please give me a chance at redemption. Even if it was just a single instance, I'm still ashamed..."

She stared pleadingly into the young man's and awaited his answer. He stared back in pity before speaking up.

"Well, if you insist, it's a deal. Though trust me, you really haven't seen much if you thought that was an unforgivable act."

Ingrid chose not to let the words affect her mood too much as she reached out to take the man's hand, signaling that she was now ready to leave the world of the living.

* * *

"You...you're like a dream come true..." Ross whispered in exhaustion when he found himself once again in a dull office after serving time in purgatory. "I called your name so many times and here you are now. Did you know all along?"

"Mr Thompson, I'll have you know that this is just a coincidence. You mean nothing to me." Miss Gustafsson stated sternly while placing both hands upon her desk.

"Sure, that's only what you want to believe."

"Sorry?"

"Admit it. You brought me back here because I represent something you never had much of."

Miss Gustafsson sighed at his insight before untying her bun so that her blonde hair fell loose.

"Where did you gain such knowledge?"

"I didn't. I was just bluffing."

"You...you amaze me..."

"So, when do I go to heaven? Is there some other test I'm not aware of?"

"Mr Thompson-"

"Oh, just call me Ross. I'm not one for silly titles anyway."

"Okay, Ross. This might be a lot to ask, but I was hoping to accompany you back to a certain time and place."

"You mean the day that I died?"

"No, the day I did..."

"What?"

Miss Gustafsson stepped out from behind her desk and promptly began disrobing, much to Ross' confusion.

"Hey, what's with the mixed messages?! I thought you weren't-" He cried as her shirt fell to the floor, before turning away so as to avoid seeing her naked form.

"Ross, you can look now." She reassured calmly after about a minute.

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Ross spun around, only to be instantly overpowered by the sight and smell of her decaying legs. He brought a hand up to his nose and wondered how he'd never noticed the foul stench before.

"Oh Lord...what happened to you?" He muttered with a mixture of disgust and concern while trying to instead keep his eyes fixed on her more pleasant looking top half.

"A sacrifice I made in exchange for a desk job and other privileges. But don't worry, it won't be forever..."

"I guess you're completely nuts then...like the Viking who gave up his eye for wisdom..."

"Very funny. Now, I should get dressed again..."

* * *

"Is this better?" Miss Gustafsson anxiously asked as she managed to catch up with Ross and show off her now feathered hair and form-fitting pink jumpsuit.

"Well, yes. You look very seventies..."

"Good. I never really had a chance to enjoy the me decade like my friends did. What happened afterwards though, was a true abomination and I would have rather died then."

At that, she excitedly began to run off as fast as her platform shoes allowed. He followed while wondering how she could even move when her legs were in such a bad state.

They eventually arrived at the doors to the disco together and Miss Gustafsson turned to smile ecstatically at Ross.

"It's finally time for me to start living my dream. In the meantime, you can just wait outside and pretend to be my father."

"Hey!"

She strutted through the entrance and the doors slammed in his face promptly afterwards, leaving him standing alone in the cold but brightly lit street.

"Well, I guess I should find fun somewhere else..." He said out loud, trudging away while disappointedly sticking both hands in his pockets.

A deep growl caught him by surprise half a minute later and he spun around to see a dark creature that hadn't been there before. It snarled upon sensing his presence and instantly charged forward, prompting him to scream in terror as he struggled to outrun it.


End file.
